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McPherson, Kan. – For just the 13th time in the history of the programs, the McPherson College men's basketball team will square off against Oklahoma Wesleyan University, a member of the KCAC as of September of 2015. Tipoff for the December 15th contest is set for 8:00 p.m. (CT) in the McPherson Sport Center; the game is Community Appreciation Night so all Bulldog supporters are admitted for free!
Scouting McPherson
The Bulldogs' record rests at 3-11 this season and the team is 1-6 in the KCAC. It has been a year of close calls for Mac as they've lost a handful of games by single digits. In their most recent outing, the 'Dogs took on the NAIA's No. 15 team in Tabor College.
Last Time Out – The game went back-and-forth for the first several minutes but a run by the Bluejays pushed their lead to double figures. The 'Dogs fought back and got it within a bucket but another run by TC put the halftime score at 43-33. McPherson's deficit sat in the 10-point range for most of the second period with seven points being the closest they ever got to Tabor. The final went to the 'Jays 90-72. Mac went 28-of-71 in the game with 8-of-25 threes falling in; they netted 8-of-12 free throws in a very physical game. The team grabbed 33 rebounds while the Bluejays had 49 including 15 offensive. MC also tallied 14 turnovers, nine assists, and seven steals.
Chris Crook led all scoring with 20 points on 8-of-18 field goals and 3-of-4 free throws; he had four rebounds in the contest as well. Dee Roberts ended the night at 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting with 4-of-8 three balls falling through; the junior pulled down five boards. Ramon Martinez tallied 14 points as the sophomore hit 6-of-10 field goals and 2-of-3 free throws; he tied Roberts for most rebounds on the team with five
Year at a Glance – McPherson averages 74.6 points a game while giving up 80.4 for a KCAC second-worst -5.7 scoring margin. The team is making just 39.9% from the field with a conference-low 30% from behind the arc; however, they net a league high 75.9% from the charity stripe. The team grabs 38.1 rebounds each time out along with recording 12.8 turnovers, 11.1 assists, and 6.4 steals; their turnover margin of 0.64 is the third best in the KCAC.
Crook leads the team in scoring this season with his 16.4ppg; he has made 70 field goals including 28-of-77 from range for a team-high 36.4 three-point percentage. The junior is ranked 17th in the NAIA in free throw percentage at 87.1%; he is also 30th in total scoring with his 229 points. Roberts is second on the Bulldogs in points a night at 14.7; he has connected on a team leading 79 field goals with 29 from behind the arc. Martinez has upped his scoring as of late, including a career-high 19 at Bethany on Thursday; the sophomore guard/forward hybrid is averaging 10.8 points each time out and also 5.6 rebounds.
Following their game against OKWU, the 'Dogs will board a plane and head to sunny California for a pair of games on the west coast. Mac is slated to take on La Sierra University in Riverside on December 17th at 8:00 p.m. (CT); their second game will come at Life Pacific College on the 19th.
Scouting Oklahoma Wesleyan
The Eagles like to shoot the rock. The team has attempted 863 total field goals compared to 783 of their opponents; it's an average of 72 attempts each game, a KCAC-high. Their rapid fire style of play has led to some high scoring games; 73 points is the lowest total of the season for both Oklahoma Wesleyan and their opponent. OKWU is 5-7 this year and 3-3 in the conference. The Eagles and McPherson have both played Tabor College for their most recent contest.
Last Time Out – Playing in Hillsboro, the game was truly a back-and-forth game as there were nine ties and 11 lead changes in the opening half. After 20 minutes of play, the visiting Eagles led 41-40. Tabor jumped in front in the early minutes of the second period and would not relinquish their lead. Though they never got ahead by more than nine points, the Bluejays were able to hold on for a 91-82 victory. OKWU went 30-of-70 from the field with 8-of-29 three-point buckets; they cashed in 14-of-19 free throws. The team grabbed 40 total rebounds with 15 coming on the offensive glass; they also tallied 17 turnovers, five assists, three steals, and three blocks.
Four different players hit double figures in points for Oklahoma Wesleyan. The team was led by Breiman Alexander who had 17 on 6-of-13 field goals and 2-of-5 free throws; he also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. CJ Ross was a close second with his 4-of-13 showing from the field and 8-of-10 from the foul line for 16 points; he also had two of his team's five assists. Both Gerald Thomas and Ryan Schuessler scored 13 for the Eagles; Thomas was 6-of-12 from the floor while Schuessler connected on 5-of-10 field goals with three from distance.
Year at a Glance – Oklahoma Wesleyan's 85.8 points a night are the fourth highest in the league while their 86.6 points allowed is second from the bottom. The team is making just 39.4 percent from the floor with a poor 30.9% from deep; they attempt on unheard-of 31.3 three pointers a game and make a KCAC-high 9.7. With all of those shots from range, the rebounds are aplenty; the Eagles grab 45.7 total with 16.4 on the offensive end of the court, both conference bests. The team also averages 17.2 turnovers, 12.9 assists, 8.3 steals, and 2.7 blocks each time out.
OKWU has four players that average in the double-digits for scoring this season. Alexander leads the way with his 15.4 with a team-high 33 three-point field goals. Cameron Williams is second on the list at 14.3 but hasn't played since before Thanksgiving and isn't listed on their school website. Ross and Chance Houston average 11 points each game with a large chunk of Ross' coming at the foul line where he is 44-of-70. Houston also hasn't played since November 21st and is not on the team's webpage.
The Eagles will head to Bacone College on December 17th for their next game.
